Maharashtra: MSEDCL arrears, losses shoot up in Vidarbha

Even as MSEDCL hikes power tariff every year, it seems to be doing nothing to improve its performance, which further increases rates. As per data obtained by activist Abhay Kolarkar under Right to Information (RTI) Act, arrears owed by consumers to MSEDCL more than doubled in five years in Vidarbha.

The arrears owed by consumers in Vidarbha was Rs 3,842 crore in 2015-16. This has increased to Rs 7,930 crore in 2019-20, an increase of 106 per cent. The collection efficiency was 97.21 per cent in 2018-19. It sharply reduced to 90.83 per cent in 2019-20.

MSEDCL has been telling Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) that it managed to reduce distribution loss every year. However, a glance at Vidarbha’s data shows that this is not true. The low tension (LT) distribution loss increased from 5.08 per cent in 2015-16 to 39.57 per cent in 2018-19. Fortunately, it came down to 14.4 per cent in 2019-20.

Power experts said that the overall distribution loss figure is meaningless since high tension (HT) consumers pay their bills honestly. Theft is rampant among LT consumers, which MSEDCL has been unable to check.

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